Project Unity's most impressive feature, besides the fact that it works, is that it was constructed entirely out of authentic hardware and does not make use of emulators or combo units like the FC Twin. It also manages to use a single power supply, video output and custom-built controller, regardless of the system selected.

Jump to 09:30 in the video above for a demonstration of this behemoth in action, including the repurposed NES cartridges that contain different circuit boards for each controller type, or start from the beginning for some deliciously chaotic wiring shots.

Some good news for patient Game Room fans today, as Game Pack 008 has been released -- and Centipede along with it. Joining Atari's classic segmented shooter are three other Atari 2600 titles: 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe, Beamrider and Cosmic Commuter; in addition to Intellivision's Thin Ice. As usual with Game Room updates, the remainder of Game Pack 008, which includes six more Atari 2600 games and four more Intellivision titles, will be released over the coming weeks.

Virtual Play Games unearthed a collection of ancient relics, believed to have been called "Intellivision games" in their time. To allow modern audiences to examine these historical artifacts for themselves, Virtual Play has built a mobile exhibition called Intellivision Lives!, which requires only a Nintendo DS for admission. In other words, the publisher's putting a bunch of old games on a DS cartridge and selling it this September.

The collection includes classics like Astro Smash, Armor Battle, Night Stalker and Shark! Shark! (a precursor of Flow), as well as six unreleased games, for a total of 60 titles from Mattel's console. The DS touchscreen substitutes for the Intellivision controller's number pad, with an image of each game's custom controller overlay!

The last we heard of this project, it had been banished from DSiWare. It'll finally be out (as a cartridge-based game) this September, and we'll get a chance to play ... these games that have been out since 1982.

The 007 update for Microsoft's Game Room is available for download right now, and will enable 15 new games in total: three Konami Arcade games; nine Atari 2600 games; three Intellivision titles and zero James Bond games. However, not all of the games are available right now -- the Game Room Facebook account lists the first five, and a message posted further down the thread notes that the rest will trickle out over "multiple weeks." Here's what's available as of right now:

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionarcadeatari-2600game-roomintellivisionkonamiKrome-StudiosMicrosoft-Game-StudiosWed, 14 Jul 2010 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/19/game-room-adds-asteroids-time-pilot-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/19/game-room-adds-asteroids-time-pilot-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/19/game-room-adds-asteroids-time-pilot-more/#comments
Game Pack 004 is now available for Game Room, featuring seven new titles. The two standouts are Asteroids and Time Pilot, classics of the arcade days of yore. Also in the pack are a handful of Activision Atari 2600 games, including Stampede, Grand Prix and Demons to Diamonds. Rounding out the pack is the arcade game Space Duel and the Intellivision title Shark! Shark!. The pack itself is free, while individual games run 240 ($3) to 400 ($5) depending on the license.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionasteroidsatariatari-2600demons-to-diamondsGame-Roomgrand-prixintellivisionkrome-studiosshark-sharkspace-duelstampedetime-piloWed, 19 May 2010 18:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/07/intellivision-dsi-collection-held-back-by-nintendo-policy/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/07/intellivision-dsi-collection-held-back-by-nintendo-policy/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/07/intellivision-dsi-collection-held-back-by-nintendo-policy/#commentsWould you like to have a downloadable collection of vintage console games on the DSi? We would too! Oh well. When the DSi was announced, Intellivision president and IP holder Keith Robinson decided to move a stalled DS version of the Intellivision Lives compilation to DSiWare.

However, Nintendo rejected the project. Apparently, according to an email Robinson received from Nintendo, WiiWare and DSiWare games cannot "run under emulation."

Because of this rule, we're missing out on the most authentic presentation of Intellivision games yet. Look at that -- even the Intellivision keypad is emulated on the touch screen, with overlays and everything. Nintendo didn't respond to IGN's inquiry about the rule, so as of yet we don't have an explanation for the refusal. It's likely that Nintendo refuses emulated projects to avoid Virtual Console-style games on WiiWare. But there's no Virtual Console on DSi, so either that rule needs to be changed or there will be a VC soon. Scratch that -- the rule needs to be changed.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dsidsiwareintellivisionintellivision-livesnintendo-dsiThu, 07 May 2009 13:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/retro-gc-compilations-offer-wii-owners-options/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/retro-gc-compilations-offer-wii-owners-options/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/retro-gc-compilations-offer-wii-owners-options/#commentsVirtual Console pricing got you down? Not to fret -- there are plenty of GameCube compilation titles available at a budget price. Racketboy recently took an in-depth look at a few of these game sets, offering readers a detailed look at what's included in each ... and some answers to the question of whether or not they're worth your $10. For instance, he reports that the Namco collections play well, but Midway Arcade Treasures seems to feature a few games with below average controls. But even with a few duds, the pricing on most of these sets is just right for gamers on a tight budget who need to get their retro fix.